Agencies and Commissions September 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Committee is proposing to add to the Procurement List a service to be furnished by nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other severe disabilities, and to delete services previously furnished by such agencies. Comments Must be Received on or Before: October 29, 2006.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined to review portions of the final initial determination (``ID'') issued by the presiding administrative law judge (``ALJ'') on July 3, 2006, in the above-captioned investigation. The Commission has also determined to extend the target date for completion of the investigation until November 21, 2006.

The Antitrust Modernization Commission will hold public hearings on October 18, 2006. The topics of the hearings are the McCarran-Ferguson Act and the Shipping Act.

This document contains a correction to the final regulations that were published in the Federal Register on March 31, 2006 (71 FR 16424). The regulations amended our administrative review process for applications for benefits that are based on whether you are disabled under title II of the Social Security Act (the Act), or applications for supplemental security income (SSI) payments that are based on whether you are disabled or blind under title XVI of the Act.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (``Commission'' or ``CFTC'') is proposing to amend its regulations to provide that the Commission may, by written order, temporarily prohibit a futures commission merchant (``FCM'') from carrying out equity withdrawal transactions that would reduce excess adjusted net capital by 30 percent or more. The proposed orders would be based on the Commission's determination that such withdrawal transactions could be detrimental to the financial integrity of FCMs or could adversely affect their ability to meet customer obligations. The proposed amendments also would provide that an FCM may file with the Commission a petition for rescission of an order temporarily prohibiting equity withdrawals from the FCM.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing the availability of final interim staff guidance (ISG) document, ``HLWRS- ISG-01, Review Methodology for Seismically Initiated Event Sequences,'' and NRC responses to the public comments received on that document. The ISG clarifies or refines the guidance provided in the Yucca Mountain Review Plan (YMRP) (NUREG-1804, Revision 2, July 2003). The YMRP provides guidance to NRC staff for evaluating a potential license application to receive and possess high-level radioactive waste at a geologic repository constructed or operated at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) and Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR) has issued Section 13.3, Second Draft Revision 3, ``Emergency Planning,'' of NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants, LWR Edition,'' for public comment.

The Federal Communications Commission proposes licensing procedures and service rules for satellites providing Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) service. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeks comment on proposals that will apply to any application for authority to provide DBS service in the United States using the 12.2-12.7 GHz band and associated feeder links in the 17.3-17.8 GHz band. This includes both unassigned channels at orbit locations assigned to the United States under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Region 2 Broadcasting-Satellite Service (BSS) and feeder-link Plans, and applications for DBS service from space stations located at orbital locations not assigned to the United States in the ITU Region 2 BSS and feeder-link Plans. The NPRM seeks comment on new licensing procedures, including the use of the first-come, first-served process for all DBS applications, regardless of the proposed orbit location. Alternatively, the NPRM requests comment on whether DBS should continue to be licensed outside the scope of the Commission's first-come, first-served satellite application processing procedures, and if so, what processing framework should be used to license DBS. The NPRM also seeks comment on: What additional issues the Commission should consider in situations involving non-nine-degree spaced DBS applications; whether all the licensing procedures applicable to other satellite services (e.g., performance bonds, milestones, and annual reports) should apply to DBS systems; how to resolve impasses in operator-to-operator coordination negotiations; whether new license terms should be adopted for all current and future U.S.-licensed DBS systems; and other issues, including what, if any, action is needed to address the impact of reduced spacing DBS on other services.

Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974, the General Services Administration (GSA) proposes to establish a new system of records titled the Federal Personal Identity Verification Identity Management System (PIV IDMS) (GSA-GOVT-7). This system will support the implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) by providing a GSA managed shared infrastructure and services for participating Federal agencies. HSPD-12 requires the use of a common identification credential for both logical and physical access to federally controlled facilities and information systems. This system will enhance security, increase efficiency, reduce identity fraud, and protect personal privacy.

The Export-Import Bank, as a part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal Agencies to comment on the proposed information collection, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Our customers will be able to submit this form electronically. The proposed forms may be viewed on our Web site at https://www.exim.gov/pub/ins/pdf/ eib92-31prop.pdf, https://www.exim.gov/pub/ins/pdf/eib92-32prop.pdf, https://www.exim.gov/pub/ins/pdf/eib92-53prop.pdf, https:// www.exim.gov/pub/ins/pdf/eib99-17prop.pdf.

This document is issued under the joint authority of the Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of General Services and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This Small Entity Compliance Guide has been prepared in accordance with Section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. It consists of a summary of rules appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-13 which amend the FAR. An asterisk (*) next to a rule indicates that a regulatory flexibility analysis has been prepared. Interested parties may obtain further information regarding these rules by referring to FAC 2005-13 which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the Internet at https://www.regulations.gov.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed to convert to a final rule without change, an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement Section 535(a) of Division F of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004, and similar sections in subsequent appropriations acts. Section 535(a) authorizes an exception to the Buy American Act for acquisitions of information technology that are commercial items.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have adopted as final, without change, an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement the increased thresholds for the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and Free Trade Agreements.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to address the record retention policy where the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) is used to submit an offeror's representations and certification.